Seat



06k, 9 H. A. LAMPL SEAT Filed Nov. 15. 1925 2 fine etswsneet l H. A. LAMPLUGH SEAT Filed Nov. 13 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet. B 50 50 =1? k the seat unit.

Patented 0a. 28, 1924.

UNITED STATES HENRY ARTHUR LAMPLUGH, OF OLTON, ENGLAND.

SEAT.

Application filed November 13, 1923. Serial No. 674,571.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY ARTHUR LAM- rLUoH, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at St. Bernards Road, Olton, in the county of \Varwick, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to seats of the kind embodying a part or parts provided with a series of bowed resilient metal strips or laths so that the said part or parts may readily adapt themselves to the contours of the user's body.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved method of constructlou of such seats, which, while being particularly applicable to seats for use in roador other vehicles, is also capable of general application.

One feature of this invention consists in providing a seat built up from a small number of units which can be very readily assembled.

A further feature of the invention "consists in providing a resilient seat unit which is suitable for a Wide range of loads.

A further feature of the invention con-- sists in providing a resilient back unit which is shaped to fit the users back.

A further feature of the invention consists in the provision of an improved form of covering or upholstery for resilient elements consisting of bowed resilient strips or slats.

Further features of the invention will be apparent from the following description:

Referring to the drawings Figure l is a perspective View showing a.

seat for two persons constructed according to this invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view with the upholstery removed.

Figure 3 is a sectional end view of the seat as in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the frame of the back unit.

Figure 6 is a similar view of the frame of Figure 7 is a perspective view showing one of the end frames.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the method of attachment of the resilient strips or slats.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a back unit with parts broken away to show the IIPlIOlStGIy. i

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a slat.

In the illustrated construction is shown a seat for two persons. This seat is built up from four units, the two independent end frames 1 and 2, the scat unit 3 and the back unit 4. The seat and back units 3 and are detachably mounted on the end frames 1 and 2 and serve to secure them in spaced relationship.

The end frames 1 and 2 each consist (see Figures 3 and 7) of a length of angle-section metal bent so as to form a front leg5, a seat supporting portion 6 and a back supporting portion A second piece of angle-section metal is secured by rivets or the like tothe rear of the underside of the seat supporting portion 6 to serve as a rear leg 8. Bracing members 9 and 10 are provided between the seat supporting portion 6 and the front and rear legs 5 and 8 respectively. At the lower ends of each leg 5 and 8, feet members 11 are provided, secured by rivets. Instead of using separate feet members 11. The one flange of the angle member may be cut away 1 at the lower end of the leg and the other flange bent horizontally to serve as a foot.

The seat unit 3 is built up on a frame (see Figure 6) consisting of the two'longitudinal angle-section metal members 12 connected together near their ends by the transverse fiat bars 13 secured to the underside of the horizontal flanges of the angle members b rivets or the like. Thesebars 13 are eaci provided with a pair of bolts 14 secured in place by nuts 15, and the end of these bolts are adapted to project through holes provided in the horizontal flanges of the portions 6 of the end frames. Thus simply by screwing fournuts 16 on to the ends of these bolts 14, the seat unit can be secured to the' end frames 1 and 2. The nuts 15 serve as spacing members between the bars 13 and the portions 6 of the end frames.

Extending between the longitudinal frame members 12 of the seat unit are a series of bowed resilient metal strips or slats arranged in two sets 19 and 20 (see Figures 2 and 3). The strips or slats 20 are disposed symmetrically about the frame and the strips or slats 19 are made of slightly greater length and'are arranged to project slightly fdrwardly at 21 so as to give the user of the seat support right up to the back of the knee. Instead of providing twosets of slats 19 and 20, as illustrated, the slats may be all of the same size and shape, either of the form of the slats 19 or of the slats 20 or of any other similar shape. The advantage of using two or more sets of slats is that it renders the seat unit suitable for a greater range of loads than with a single set. On a small load being applied it is taken up entirely by a slight bending of the upper set of slats, such as 19. On an increased load being applied, the upper set of slats bend into the plane of the second or lower set of slats which then come into action and assist in supporting the increased load.

The method of securing the resilient slats 19 or 20 on to the frame members 12 is shown in detail in Figure 8. The ends of the slats are provided with key-hole slots 21, the narrow portions 22 of the slots being the nearer to the ends of the slats. The horizontal flanges of the frame members 12 are provided with a series of pins 23 having enlarged heads 24 spaced away slightly from the surface of the member 12. The slats 19 or 20 in their free state are substantially of the form shown in Figure 10", with a central straight portion 25 having two bent over ends 26. They are mounted on the frame members 12 by passing the circular part of the keyhole slot 21 at one end of the slat, over the enlarged head 24 of one of the pins 23 and then sliding this end of the slat along so that the narrow part 22 of the keyhole slot comes through the enlarged head 24.

The other end of the slat is then sprung into position so that the other keyhole slot 21 passes over the pin 23 on the other frame member 12. The resiliency of the slat itself serves to pull this end into a position in which the narrow part 22 of the keyhole slot is beneath the enlarged head of the pin. If required the ends of the slats may be secured by set-screws instead of in the way just described. The seat unit 3 is shown provided at each end with a pair of slats 19 and 19 mounted one on top of the other, instead of the usual single slat '(see Figures 2 and 3) This has the advantage of preserving the shape of the seat when upholstered and of improving the supporting properties thereof, -since if a person sits on the end of the seat,

. the end slat obviously has to support a more concentrated load than the inner slats. Instead of mounting two or more slats one on top of the other, a single slat of greater thickness may be used.

The back unit is built up on a frame (see Figure 5) consisting of a pair of longitudinal angle-section metal frame members, the lower one 27 of which is straight, while the upper one 28 is provided with a pair of rearward bows 29. At the ends of and between the bows 29 there are three portions 30 of the vertical flange of the member 28 which are all in the same plane. This is rendered possible by cutting V shaped portions out of the horizontal flange of the member 28 at the junction of a straight portion 30 and a bowed portion 29. Extending between and secured to the longitudinal members 27 and 28 adjacent the ends thereof are a pair of bars 31 each carrying a pair of bolts 32 fitted with fixed and removable nuts 83 and 34, by which the back unit 4 may be secured to the portions 7 of the end frames 1 and 2 in exactly the same way as the seat unit 3 is secured to the portions 6. A further vertical member is provided secured between the central straight portion 30 of the member 28 and the member 2?. Y

The frame members 27 and 28 are each provided with a series of spaced pins 23 having enlarged heads 24 and the bowed resilient metal slats 35 are secured thereon in exactly the same way as the slats 19 and 20 are secured on the frame members 12. The slats are all of the same size and shape in their free state, being of the form shown in Figure 10. They are mounted on the frame members 27 and 28, so that one slat is secured to each of the flat portions 30 of the member 28 and the upper ends of the slats 35 are more widely spaced at the centres of the bows 29 than at the ends.

This method of construction of the back unit results in the upper part of the resilient surface formed by the slats 35, being concave and so serving to give a certain amount of lateral support to the users shoulders. The lower central part of this resilicnt surface stands out relative to the upper central part and so serves to give support to the small of the back of the user; in fact the curvature of the central portion of the seat back is such as to give comfortable support to the users spine from bottom to top.

Tn order to increase the comfort and enhance the appearance of the seat, the seat and back units?) and 4 are each provided with a covering or upholstery. In order to provide a convenient means of securing this covering material to the units, wooden strips 40 are secured inside the angle members 12 of the seat unit and similar strips 41 are secured between the ends of the members 12, these wooden strips 41 being reinforced by metal strips or bars 42 in the illustrated construction. Similarly, wooden strips 43 and 44 are secured inside the angle members 27 and 28 of the back unit frame and wooden strips 45 reinforced by metal strips 46 are secured between the ends thereof.

The preferred form of covering for the seat and back units, shown in Figure 9, consists of a layer 47 of felt or like material placed next the slats, then a layer 48 of wire gauze or like resilient pressure distributing lllU medium, then a further layer 49 of felt or the like and an outer covering 50 of leather or some other upho-lstering material secured in the known way to the wooden framing provided on the units 3 and 4. The layer 48 of wire gauze or the like serves to prevent any settling of the covering material in the spaces between the slats and also serves to distribute the load between the slats.

The end slats of the seat unit 3 are mounted right at the end of the frame members, so that when upholstered the end of the seat presents a square appearance. Similarly, the end slats of the back unit are mounted at the end of the frame members, the upper end of these slats being mounted on the end straight portions 30 of the upper frame member 28, so that these ends also present a square appearance.

The case of a double seat is only described and illustrated by way of example. Obviously, a seat for one person, or a seat for three or more persons, could be constructed in exactly the same way, the corresponding number of bows 29 of the right width being provided in the upper frame member 28 of the back unit, and in the case of a long seat, independent frames, similar to the end frames 1 and 2, being provided at intervals.

What I claim then is 1. In a seat, stands arranged in spaced relation, a seat supporting frame and a back supporting frame on said stands, bowed resilient strips arranged transversely with respect to said frames and having their concaved sides presented thereto and their ends inturned and secured thereto, the said back supporting frame having a curved upper bar presenting a concave front side, the resilient strips of the seat supporting frame being of two sets and the members of one set being smaller than and arranged intermediate those of the other and so that each larger strip extends above and also at one end beyond the next adjacent smaller strip, said concave front side of said top bar of the back supporting frame caved sides presented thereto and their ends inturned and secured thereto, the said back supporting frame having a curved upper bar presenting a concave front side, the resilient strips of the seat supporting frame being of two sets and the members of one set being smaller than and arranged intermediate those of the other and so that each larger strip extends above and also at one end beyond the next adjacent smaller strip, said concave front side of said top bar of the back supporting frame imparting a concave surface to the outer face of the resilient strips of said frame, and the said resilient strips of said back supporting frame, being of such lengths and so arranged as to conform at their upper ends to the concave shape of the top bar, and a. covering of upholsterin material on said resilient strips and secure to said frames.

3. In a seat, stands arran ed in spaced relation, a seat supporting fiame on said stands, bowed resilient strips arranged transversely with respect to said frame and having their concaved sides presented thereto and'their ends inturned and secured thereto, the resilient strips of said frame being of two sets and the members of one set being smaller than and arranged inter mediate those of the other end and so that each larger strip extends above and also at one end beyond the next adjacent smaller strip.

Inwitness whereof I aflix my signature.

HENRY ARTHUR LAMPLUGH. 

